This past Wednesday, Ron DeSantis, the Republican Governor of Florida, has officially signed a new bill that seeks to create a guarantee for Floridian families the fundamental right to visit their family members that are currently receiving care in hospices, hospitals, and other long-term care facilities, promising his constituents that they will never be “denied the right” to visit their loved ones in nursing homes and hospitals.
The No Patient Left Along Act, or SB988, now allows a resident, patient, or client the option to name a person who is a family member, guardian, friend, or anyone else as an essential caregiver, as read from a release from the office of the governor. “The provider must allow in-person visitation by the essential caregiver for at least two hours daily in addition to any other visitation authorized by the provider,” reads the text of the bill.
No one should be denied the choice to have family present in the hospital. Today, I signed the No Patient Left Alone Act into law to protect the right of Floridians to have companionship when hospitalized.
Floridians will be able to visit their loved ones when it matters most. pic.twitter.com/nxOnDhQrS9
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 6, 2022
“Throughout the pandemic, the federal government has waived protections for families to visit their loved ones in hospitals and long-term care facilities. That is unacceptable,” stated DeSantis in a release.
“Here in Florida, we recognize that family and human connection is one of the most important aspects of physical, mental, and emotional well-being and we are ensuring Floridians are never again denied the right to see their relatives and friends while in hospitals or nursing homes,” he continued.
No Patient Left Alone Act Signed into Law https://t.co/YkbwEPf37s
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 6, 2022
Casey DeSantis, the first lady of Florida, also highlighted the importance of seeing your loved ones while going through the tragedies of life.
“It is wonderful to see the rights of hospital and nursing home patients protected and signed into law,” she stated.
“Patients shouldn’t be denied the right to see their loved ones, especially during life’s difficult moments. Thank you to Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature for prioritizing this important issue. Hopefully, this law will bring much peace, comfort, and clarity to Floridians,” she stated.
Agency for Simone Marstiller, the Health Care Administration Secretary, lauded this new law, highlighting her experiences with seeing family members be unable to go and see their loved ones in care facilities and hospitals.
“Over the past year, I have seen the struggles that residents have experienced in hospitals and long-term care facilities where they were unable to visit with their family,” Marstiller stated.
“I applaud the Governor and Florida Legislature for taking this very important step to guarantee visitation as a fundamental right for these residents. As Florida’s health care regulator, we take these matters seriously and stand ready to investigate any violations of this law,” she said.
This new law will require all Florida hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, assisted living facilities, and intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled to incorporate and post their new policies on visitation on their website by as soon as the 6th of May. Additionally, anyone who faces any pushback in terms of access to their loved ones under medical care should file a complaint with the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration.